Beyond the standard model for the cosmic X-ray background

The synthesis model for the cosmic X-ray background (XRB) -based on the int egrated emission of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs)- is complemented with new observational results. We adopt the most recent estimates of the AGN X-ray luminosity function and evolution. We adopt the column density distributio n of type 2 AGNs observed in the local Universe, instead of describing it a s a set of free parameters. We maintain the standard assumptions that type 2 AGNs have the same luminosity function -apart from a constant factor- and the same evolution of type 1s, and that the spectral shapes of both types are independent of redshift. We explore various parametrizations of the dat a, and in all cases we find that the XRB can be fitted, but the number dens ity ratio of type 2s to type 1s must be higher than the local value, and/or the hard X-ray counts in the 2-10 keV band and the preliminary BeppoSAX co unts in the 5-10 keV band are underestimated at a level of a few sigma. The se results consistently suggest that type 2 AGNs could undergo a faster evo lution than type 1s, or other sources with hard X-ray spectra might contrib ute to the XRB at intermediate or high redshifts.